Meat and meat hygiene
This section covers the licensing, inspection and reporting regimes which govern the meat production and processing industries.
The FSA consults with industry and other stakeholders through the Advisory Body on the Delivery of Official Controls, the Meat Hygiene Policy Forum and its working groups.
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Food hygiene regulations: meat
From 1 January 2006 new food hygiene regulations came into force in all EU Member States. The hygiene regulations replaced 17 directives, including eight relating specifically to meat.
Guide to food hygiene and other regulations for the UK meat industry
Guidance, produced to assist UK meat plant operators whose premises require approval and veterinary control under the European Union Food Hygiene Regulations, has been sent to all relevant operators and is available electronically (see below).
Meat Hygiene Service
The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) was established on 1 April 1995, taking over meat inspection duties in fresh meat premises from some 300 local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. It is the role of MHS to help ensure that the meat industry safeguards the health of the public, and the health and welfare of animals at slaughter.
Wild game guide: a guide to food hygiene legislation
The guide is for people who shoot wild game and supply it either in-fur or in-feather or as small quantities of wild game meat. It gives information on hygiene regulations and ways to make sure meat is safe to eat.
HACCP in Meat Plants
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), is used to descibe an internationally recognised way of managing food safety and protecting consumers. It is a requirement of EU food hygiene legislation that applies to all food business operators except farmers and growers.
Meat Guidance
Guidance notes for Meat Regulations
Clean livestock
The Clean Livestock Policy sets out the standards for acceptable and unacceptable levels of cleanliness for cattle and sheep being presented for slaughter. It was published in September 1997 by the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) to improve hygiene standards following the fatal E-coli O157 outbreak in Scotland in 1996.
Approval of meat plants
Under food hygiene legislation that came into effect on 1 January 2006, meat plants require approval unless they benefit from specific exemptions.
Meat establishment audit categories
The Audit Categories have been published on a monthly basis. They show the last audit of individual meat establishment throughout the UK.
Meat Hygiene Policy Forum - Policy Development Working Group
The MHPF Policy Development Working Groups aim to meet twice a year. This section contains details of agendas, notes of meetings and information papers.